European Commission presents five-year strategy on migration

RIGA - The European Commission (EC) on Thursday presented the first European Asylum and Migration Management Strategy for the next five years, LETA was told at the European Commission's Representation in Latvia.

It sets out the European Union's (EU) political objectives on asylum and migration, with concrete priorities for the next five years.

According to the EC Representation, the EU has entered a new phase in the area of migration and asylum, building on and consolidating the substantial progress made in securing external borders, implementing targeted migration diplomacy, including through strategic and comprehensive partnerships with partner countries, and implementing the reforms foreseen in the Migration and Asylum Pact.

These measures have contributed to a steady decline in irregular migration in recent years and have improved migration management, the EC Representation in Latvia said.

It also underlines that the Strategy reaffirms the EU's commitment to a system that is both fair and rigorous and that manages migration effectively in cooperation with partner countries, offering solutions while remaining true to European values. It underlines the principle that it is Europe that decides who enters the EU and under what conditions.

The Strategy sets out the way forward to achieve three main objectives: to prevent irregular migration and disrupt criminal smuggling networks, to protect people fleeing war and persecution while preventing abuse of the system, and to attract talent to the EU to strengthen the competitiveness of the bloc's economies.